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Police suspect arson

Flames, smoke interrupt classes in Speech Arts

Multiple trash fires set on the California State University, Fresno campus Wednesday night forced the evacuation of dozens students and faculty from the Speech Arts building, according to a report filed with the university police department.

The first fire was reported at 8:18 p.m. inside the Speech Arts building, and was started inside of a trash can on the northwest end of the building. Read more

Bulldog game day

Fresno State Bulldogs (6-4, 5-2 WAC) vs. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (3-7, 2-4 WAC)

Breakdown: Bulldogs

The Fresno State Bulldogs received some bad news Tuesday. The ’Dogs’ star and the nation’s leading rusher, Ryan Mathews, has been ruled out for Saturday’s game. Read more

Both sides of the abortion divide

An article praising H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, appeared in Monday’s opinion section of The Collegian. The headline read, “Stumping the Stupak” and celebrated the Democratic victory for the removal of federal covered abortions in health care plans.

However, the article merely scratched the surface of the issue at hand. Read more

What are you, chicken?

I never expected to be a chicken, walk a dog on an invisible leash or mimic a scary witch when I set out to cover a story about next semester’s “Theatre for Young Audiences” production.

The Dennis and Cheryl Woods Theatre at California State University, Fresno was empty Monday evening, except for an animated gibberish sounding conversation between two students across the room from where I entered. My intention was to catch a glimpse of the “Tomás and the Library Lady” audition.

The director arrived and quickly reassured me that the auditions would take place in a few minutes. I settled into one of the red cushioned, fold-down seats, notebook in hand and pen posed to jot down notes when the director began to speak.

After introducing herself as Kim Morin, she summoned students to the theater floor where she stood. “This is going to be unusual,” she said, “but we’re going to be playing games.”

Soon they were standing in a circle facing outward, and under Morin’s instructions, tossing around imaginary tennis balls and bowling balls. A girl wearing a plaid scarf dropped her imaginary tennis ball and skipped away to retrieve it. Another girl shyly pretended to toss the ball, glancing around, curious what the others were doing.

“Really imagine it,” Morin encouraged, as students pretended to walk a Doberman and a poodle on an leash.

“This is weird,” I mused but attempted not to look as surprised as I felt. My thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Morin calling cheerfully to me, “Are you just going to take notes or would you like to join us?”

“Why not?” I wondered aloud, and then to myself, “What am I getting myself into?” as I slowly joined the group.

In a matter of a few short minutes, I became a chicken, flailing my arms and ruffling pretend feathers. Surprisingly, this “magical realism,” as Morin called it, proved to be sort of fun. It was the type of situation that I would typically laugh at but secretly enjoy, like singing at the top of my lungs and head-banging to Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA,” or writing my boyfriend’s name over and over again with heart doodles under the guise of taking lecture notes. Perhaps silly, but who could pretend to be a chicken and not secretly enjoy it? I wondered.

We flitted our wings, made chicken noises and did a chicken walk around the room.

Walking like a chicken required one to fold their arms back and walk slowly while moving the chest forward and backward with each step. Much laughter and “ba-caw” noises followed.

“I consider this audition to be high energy and low stress,” theatre arts major Kevin Grow confided to me. Grow said he auditioned for the past three shows as well as the Experimental Theatre Company’s “Edgar Allan Poe Affair,” but failed to be cast in any of the roles. Since his last role was for a high school play, Grow said he was eager to jump back into the acting groove.

Morin definitely allowed for jumping. The purpose of these exercises, she explained, was to relate to children and be able to tell a story in a way that entertains and appeals to their imaginations.

As a final exercise, the six of us paired off into three groups to dramatically read through a scene. Morin encouraged each student to have fun with the exercises and by the end of the hour-long audition, I was cast for the production, pointing out that she welcomed students from all areas of study.

Whether I choose to pursue acting or not is still up in the air. However, this audition illustrated that my preconceived ideas of what constitutes as theatre might have kept me from an enjoyable experience. It will not soon be forgotten.

Assemblyman seeks support for Bill 656

The majority leader of the California State Assembly spoke Wednesday in a meeting open to the public at California State University, Fresno.

Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, D-Fremont, is the author of the recently debated Assembly Bill 656. He is making the rounds to colleges in California to drum up support for his bill. Fresno State is the 10th college campus he has visited in the past two weeks.

Torrico said he wants to gather 100,000 signatures to take to Sacramento to show support for the bill.

Assembly Bill 656 would tax oil companies that extract oil from the state. Torrico said that the bill would specifically prohibit oil companies from passing that cost onto consumers.

“Not only does it prohibit it in the bill, the bill sets up a commission,” Torrico said. “For the first time in California, we’re going to oversee the ongoing operations of oil companies.”

Torrico said California is an anomaly among oil-producing states. He said that a similar bill in Texas raises $400 million per year that funds higher education. He also said that Alaska has a 25 percent tax on companies that extract oil from the state.

“In California, we’re going to join the rest of the country and we’re going to charge the oil companies for the oil that they take out,” Torrico said. “My bill, AB 656, will charge a 12.5 percent fee.”

He said that the tax would raise $1.25 billion per year. The money would not go to the state’s general fund, but to fund higher education, Torrico said.

President John D. Welty was unable to attend Torrico’s presentation, because he was in Long Beach at a board of trustees meeting. However, he sent questions to be asked on his behalf during the open forum portion of the presentation.

Welty asked how the measure would guarantee ongoing support for the California State University system?

“The bill specifically says that the $1.25 billion is supplemental funding. It is not to be used to replace existing general funds,” Torrico said.

He also said that he would like to engage in a discussion with Welty and would do so if students would organize it.

Wednesday’s presentation was organized and planned by Students for Quality Education (SQE). Whitney Thompson, a facilitator for SQE, said that her group fully supports AB 656. She said the current system has little transparency, and the money disappears into the auxiliary fund.

“We don’t know where that money goes,” Thompson said.

She said that AB 656 is very similar to the program in Texas.

English professor Lisa Weston, Ph.D., and president of the local chapter of the California Faculty Association (CFA), was pleased with the turnout and the information shared.

“I think it was a nice mix of students who were very committed, who already knew what was going on, and students who were here collecting information,” she said. “As always, it’s really nice to see students involved.”

Trustees call for increased funding

The California State University Board of Trustees on Wednesday asked state elected leaders for an $884 million funding increase in the 2010-2011 academic school year, following a two-day meeting.

The board adopted a budget proposal to increase the system’s General Fund support from $2.3 billion to $3.2 billion during two separate meeting at the Chancellor’s office in Long Beach this week.

As proposed by the board, the 23-campus system calls for Sacramento to provide $3.2 billion in general-fund support next fiscal year, an increase from the current $2.3 billion.

State funding for the CSU was reduced by $364 million for the 2009-10 academic year.

Reed addressed the board stating that CSU officials had laid out priorities within the $884 million for California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislature.

“I feel strongly that the Governor and the Legislature has given us a promise,” Reed said during the meeting.

The plan calls for $283 million to restore funding for collective bargaining agreements. The total budget request of $3.2 billion exceeds the state support provided to the CSU in 2007-08, which is considered the last “predictable” funding year, by $259 million or 8.7 percent, according to CSU officials.

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